{Review} Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Page Count: 453

Published On: November 8, 2016

Published By: Feiwel and Friends

Genre(s): YA, fantasy, retelling, romance

Source: personally purchased

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository 

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

~~~

Hey, guys!

I've been such a fan of Marissa Meyer for years, but this story did not live up to my hopes. I bought this book a long time ago, knowing that because it was Marissa Meyer that I would enjoy it. While the book was entertaining and interesting, I was just bored and sick of the main character by the end of it. 


Though this was a really fascinating retelling and back story to the Queen of Hearts, I felt like the amount of buildup toward her eventual end was really slow. Sometimes getting through this book felt like a dredge through a muddy pond. The book started out so nicely -- from the bizarre introduction to the world of Hearts to the immense amounts of baking that Cath partook in. However, once you got into the book it was as if the madness and bizarre-ness of the world of Wonderland were completely thrown out the window. Granted, a lot of the events that occurred were bizarre and the characters were wildly strange, but they just weren't what I would expect of the characters of Wonderland. I wish that it had been more consistent. 

The plot was also not the best. The majority of the plot was just Cath whining about what she didn't want to do. She didn't do much of anything. She was just obnoxiously whiney. I felt like she refused to stand up for herself when it meant the most, she constantly ignored the advice of others and did whatever she wanted even though it was obvious that she wasn't the best at making decisions. Actually, she never really made many decisions. Not the decisions that counted. She also was just really dumb and wouldn't support herself until she had the help of a dude. I felt like the book really lacked the feminism that Meyer had frequently shown in her other works.

When it comes to Marissa Meyer, I know that I can count on her to create a really dimensional and romantic relationship bloom from the most annoying characters. This was not the case in Heartless. While I really liked Jest's character. I wish the book had been a dual perspective between Jest and Cath (though I know why MM didn't use that technique). Their relationship was just a bit too annoying for me. She really just gave us the reasons to ship the two characters, I felt like it wasn't shown enough to actually make me connected to their relationship or feelings. Just not my cup of tea. 

Overall, the book was underwhelming and kind of boring. I didn't like the main character, the romance was bleh, and there should have been more feminism, stabbing, and more murder from the Jabberwocky. There was hardly any plot to make it worth it to me. Though I didn't like the bits that tend to make or break the book, I really did enjoy the magic, the side characters (Hatta, Cheshire, and more), the world of Chess, the Jabberwocky conflict, and the baking. I wish that I had loved this book, but I just didn't click with it. I know so many adore this book. I definitely would have loved it more in 2016 when it first came out. 

I have a review for Marissa Meyer's other series, The Lunar Chronicles. It's absolutely one of my favorite series. 

Happy reading!
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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{Review} Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

Page Count: 320

Published On: December 5, 2017

Published By: Henry Holt and Co.

Genre(s): Contemporary, YA, Romance

Source: paperback ARC provided by publisher

Age Rating: 13+

Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 5 stars 

Goodreads synopsis

A contemporary novel about a girl whose high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream leads her to new friends—and maybe even new love.

The day of the last party of the summer, Claudia overhears a conversation she wasn't supposed to. Now on the wrong side of one of the meanest girls in school, Claudia doesn't know what to expect when the two are paired up to write a paper—let alone when they're both forced to try out for the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

But mandatory participation has its upsides—namely, an unexpected friendship, a boy band obsession, and a guy with the best dimpled smile Claudia's ever seen. As Claudia's world starts to expand, she finds that maybe there are some things worth sticking her neck out for.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      Foolish Hearts has managed to become one of my favorite books of the year. I received a copy from the lovely Julia for Christmas 2017 and I finally read it in June. I absolutely adored every bit of this book. The characters were so well written and their stories were so compelling. There were so many great elements to this book. I really do not think I found anything particularly wrong with this book. 

     I absolutely adored the characters in this story.  I loved her friendships and the friendships that developed throughout the story. It was so much fun to see the characters grow and change. There was a lovely bromance, a beautifully done sibling relationship, and a wonderful romantic relationship that developed. 

     Claudia was such a great character. She was flawed and made some annoying/bad choices, but she was so sweet and realistic. Gideon was such a fun character too. I absolutely adored his humor. He is such a sweetie pie. I could read about Gideon forever. The romance that surrounds Gideon is so wholesome and adorable. I couldn't get enough of the romance in this book.

     The romance was, as I said, so wholesome and good. It wasn't an annoying insta-love situation. It built up really naturally and sweetly. It was a wholesome slow burn situation. 

    The nerdy characters and fandom culture is so nicely done. There's such a beautiful message about acceptance and friendship and it will really warm your heart. It's so beautifully fluffy and fun. I recommend it to everyone. If you love Emma Mills' books, but you haven't picked up Foolish Hearts; you should definitely pick it up!

Other Emma Mills Reviews

• First & Then
• This Adventure Ends
• This Adventure Ends [Julia's Review]

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review} The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Page Count: 440

Published on: February 6, 2018

Published by: Disney-Hyperion

Genre(s): Fantasy, YA
Source: Hardback- personally purchased

Age Rating: 14+ TW: sexual assault 

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Book Depository: {click here}

My Rating: 2.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever. 

~~~

Hey, guys!

       For this round of the book club, we read The Belles in June! I'm just going to be honest. I really wasn't impressed with this book. I felt like it was somewhat fast-paced, BUT it was also full of annoying characters and predictable twists. This just wasn't the best fantasy book in my opinion. I easily could have DNF'd this book, but I just kept pushing through because I was just barely interested enough to push through to see what happened at the end. 

    This story really had promise. I really enjoyed the world that Clayton created, however, the characters were just not fleshed out enough. I really wanted even more world building and the Victorian-esque style and more complex characters. I loved how it kind of took place in an alternate New Orleans. It was just super lovely to read about. The teacup animals were so fun. I really would love to see those animals in real life (without endangering their health or happieness, of course).

    The magic system in this book was really intriguing and terrifying. The people of Orleans are born grey and colorless with red eyes and straw-like hair. The Belles have the capability to completely reshape the people of Orleans. 

    Overall, I really didn't like Camille as a character. She was super whiny and super annoying. I just could not get behind her behavior. She just really rubbed me the wrong way. She has a major superiority complex and she just has a nasty attitude that I don't appreciate. 

    The romance aspect of this book was just cringe-y and unbelievable. I was just unimpressed and unconvinced. There was no chemistry between the characters and their personalities were just polar opposites. The actual "romance" that developed seemed forced and annoying. 10/10 would not recommend. 

     The mystery aspect of this book was also just so boring. I really wanted to be interested in it, but there was just so much more happening in the book and I got bored. It just wasn't incorporated as well as I would have hoped. It just seemed like an afterthought to Camilla. She just got so caught up in everything else. I wasn't a fan. 

    While it seems like I'm just bashing on this book, I will say that I really enjoyed the villain that Dhonielle Clayton created. She was truly the worst. I haven't openly hated a character in so long. She was so fun to root against. 

    

    Overall this book had promise, but I wasn't a fan. I don't think I'll continue on with the series. It would take a bit for me to read more of Dhonielle Clayton's future work, but I'm totally game to eventually read more of her stuff. Who knows. 

I hope you enjoyed this review!
Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review || LivTheBookClub June 2017 BOTM} Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

Page Count: 240

Published on: October 24, 2017

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal

Source: Paperback - via publisher 

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     This review has been a long time coming, but I'm finally getting to it! Julia and I read this for the summer book club back in June. I, unfortunately, was really disappointed in this book. Unlike Renee Ahdieh's previous books, the characters, the plot, and the whole concept of this book fell really flat for me. The characters were boring, annoying, and two-dimensional, the plot was underdeveloped, the magic, overall, lacked any kind of magical-ness. I was entertained and the writing style was interesting, but I just felt like Ahdieh just wasn't writing her best in FitM. I adored her Wrath and the Dawn duology. They were stunningly written and so intensely beautiful. I was so impressed, however, I feel like this book was written by a completely different person. 

      Let's talk about characters. This book didn't have any characters that I connected to. I felt like the characters that we met in this book were just "there" and didn't actually fit the story. The main character, Mariko, was just so annoying. I felt like she just whined the whole time and she would never make up her mind. She was just a mess. At first, I was really into her character. I thought she was really badass and really inspiring, but once the book started to progress, she just constantly whined and didn't progress at all. Anything that happened to her just seemed like a convenient plot device to keep the story going. The story didn't flow well at all. 

     The whole romance aspect of this book was just a big "nope" for me. I could not get behind the random and all-of-a-sudden kind of love. The romantic plot did not build up at all. It felt like it just was plopped into the story to make it "interesting". The little development that we got was much too rushed and I didn't really sense any real chemistry between the two characters. They went from enemy strangers to acquaintances to lovers. I just really didn't like that pacing. It was too much. The romance could have been left out and the plot would have been fine. I just think it was really unneeded. 

     I feel similarly about the magic system in this book. I don't know much of anything about it after reading the book. It just exploded towards the end of the book and left me confused. I really thought there would be more magic throughout the book, but I felt like it was just a mish-mash of an attempt at a history-based fantasy novel..but not done well. 

     I was hoping for a more history-based Japanese story, but I was just left with a massive state of confusion. The first part of the book was really fantastic and intriguing. I was really into the first part, however, the rest of the book was just a muddle of confusing ... stuff. I was just really confused throughout the book. 

    This book was far too busy for my taste. There was just too much happening and nothing productive. The ending was far too rushed and confusing. I'm still not sure what was happening. There were far too many instances where I was just questioning why I was reading the book. If I had not been reading it for the book club and buddy reading it with Julia, I would have probably DNF'd the book. Overall, I was just bored and confused. I only like a couple of the minor characters. I don't even remember their names. 

Favorite Characters: Yumi, Yoshi, and the peasant girl Mariko's brother likes

Least Favorite Characters: Mariko, Okami, & Ranmaru

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Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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